Fifty-six
years after it rolled out of the Boeing factory in Wichita, Kan., "Doc"
arrived home badly needing "medical attention."
The battered
forward fuselage section, wings, engines and other major part of the Superfortress,
one of the last restorable B-29s known to exist, is home for restoration.
In June 2000, the airplane arrived on flatbed semitrailers and rolled through Boeing Wichita's Gate 5, completing one journey, and poised to begin another. Hundreds of employees and retirees turned out to greet the piece of history.
Many
of them have already signed on to help restore it - a massive volunteer
effort to put the airplane back in flying form.
C.C.
Briscoe, one of the original workers who helped build Doc at Boeing
Vice-President, Jeff
Turner, of Boeing and Tony Mazzolini under Doc
"The Boeing volunteers are a major key element in the success of the restoration,"
said Tony Mazzolini, chief executive officer of the U.S. Aviation Museum.
"Without their expertise, it would take too long, be too expensive and
probably not get done in my lifetime."
Restoration efforts are under way in Boeing Wichita's Experimental Flight Hangar.
- Story courtesy of the Boeing Corporation
We will have more updates and photos as we get them. Many thanks to Tony Mazzolini for the photos and information and to Susan Calbeck at Boeing for the Boeing story.
